# Wildfires in Nigeria in 2021

184 fires larger than 2,000 hectares in Nigeria in 2021, with 741,035 hectares burned according to their perimeters. Here is the whole year: what the official record says, when and where it burned and what the weather was like.

## The year in a few sentences

- According to Copernicus GWIS, 7,563,797 hectares burned in Nigeria in 2021: 1.2 times the average of the other years from 2012 to 2024 (6,164,531 ha). Only 2016 burned more. (Copernicus GWIS)
- The worst week was 15 January to 21 January: 967,075 hectares burned in seven days, 13% of the year according to Copernicus GWIS. (Copernicus GWIS)
- The largest fire was the Abadam fire, which started on 1 October 2021 and burned 39,964 hectares: 5% of the area of the year's 184 fires with a page. (WorldFires)

## Month by month

Hectares within the perimeters by the month the fire started. Tap a month to see it on the map.

| Month | Fires | Hectares |
|---|---:|---:|
| January | 79 | 321,120 |
| February | 16 | 60,662 |
| March | 4 | 19,797 |
| April | 1 | 2,604 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| June | 0 | 0 |
| July | 0 | 0 |
| August | 0 | 0 |
| September | 0 | 0 |
| October | 15 | 91,120 |
| November | 24 | 79,767 |
| December | 45 | 165,964 |

## Week by week, against other years (Copernicus GWIS)

The average and the band are the Copernicus GWIS climatology for 2012–2025, which includes 2021 itself.

| Week | 2021 | That week | average | lowest and highest |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| 1 (1 Jan–7 Jan) | 532,286 | 532,286 | 584,498 | 25,353–1,062,949 |
| 2 (8 Jan–14 Jan) | 1,298,680 | 766,394 | 1,190,274 | 65,617–1,912,455 |
| 3 (15 Jan–21 Jan) | 2,265,755 | 967,075 | 1,728,003 | 180,737–2,561,422 |
| 4 (22 Jan–28 Jan) | 2,735,083 | 469,328 | 2,281,085 | 630,548–3,300,809 |
| 5 (29 Jan–4 Feb) | 3,067,114 | 332,031 | 2,725,658 | 1,106,769–3,667,163 |
| 6 (5 Feb–11 Feb) | 3,313,319 | 246,205 | 3,072,171 | 1,402,671–4,109,495 |
| 7 (12 Feb–18 Feb) | 3,833,254 | 519,935 | 3,354,334 | 1,479,483–4,326,882 |
| 8 (19 Feb–25 Feb) | 3,972,475 | 139,221 | 3,476,076 | 1,552,126–4,460,742 |
| 9 (26 Feb–4 Mar) | 4,175,259 | 202,784 | 3,571,868 | 1,596,946–4,557,690 |
| 10 (5 Mar–11 Mar) | 4,333,634 | 158,375 | 3,651,119 | 1,678,753–4,617,161 |
| 11 (12 Mar–18 Mar) | 4,358,359 | 24,725 | 3,724,737 | 1,853,887–4,665,872 |
| 12 (19 Mar–25 Mar) | 4,396,625 | 38,266 | 3,766,839 | 1,943,936–4,706,506 |
| 13 (26 Mar–1 Apr) | 4,520,812 | 124,187 | 3,809,956 | 1,997,304–4,737,386 |
| 14 (2 Apr–8 Apr) | 4,574,279 | 53,467 | 3,838,829 | 2,022,568–4,755,197 |
| 15 (9 Apr–15 Apr) | 4,609,674 | 35,395 | 3,857,413 | 2,027,521–4,767,221 |
| 16 (16 Apr–22 Apr) | 4,627,690 | 18,016 | 3,878,226 | 2,033,183–4,813,202 |
| 17 (23 Apr–29 Apr) | 4,649,190 | 21,500 | 3,893,247 | 2,098,059–4,826,690 |
| 18 (30 Apr–6 May) | 4,656,929 | 7,739 | 3,900,031 | 2,101,391–4,834,185 |
| 19 (7 May–13 May) | 4,661,314 | 4,385 | 3,904,125 | 2,102,941–4,835,118 |
| 20 (14 May–20 May) | 4,680,458 | 19,144 | 3,909,124 | 2,104,347–4,844,458 |
| 21 (21 May–27 May) | 4,718,348 | 37,890 | 3,914,645 | 2,106,687–4,845,464 |
| 22 (28 May–3 Jun) | 4,726,312 | 7,964 | 3,918,106 | 2,107,632–4,847,951 |
| 23 (4 Jun–10 Jun) | 4,731,586 | 5,274 | 3,920,645 | 2,109,160–4,849,750 |
| 24 (11 Jun–17 Jun) | 4,736,911 | 5,325 | 3,922,794 | 2,109,811–4,850,582 |
| 25 (18 Jun–24 Jun) | 4,738,707 | 1,796 | 3,925,292 | 2,110,257–4,854,963 |
| 26 (25 Jun–1 Jul) | 4,743,431 | 4,724 | 3,927,577 | 2,110,257–4,855,533 |
| 27 (2 Jul–8 Jul) | 4,749,165 | 5,734 | 3,929,337 | 2,111,077–4,857,895 |
| 28 (9 Jul–15 Jul) | 4,751,389 | 2,224 | 3,930,953 | 2,111,077–4,858,186 |
| 29 (16 Jul–22 Jul) | 4,751,625 | 236 | 3,931,995 | 2,111,435–4,858,186 |
| 30 (23 Jul–29 Jul) | 4,755,829 | 4,204 | 3,932,822 | 2,111,435–4,858,750 |
| 31 (30 Jul–5 Aug) | 4,755,829 | 0 | 3,933,546 | 2,111,894–4,861,577 |
| 32 (6 Aug–12 Aug) | 4,755,829 | 0 | 3,933,952 | 2,113,455–4,861,827 |
| 33 (13 Aug–19 Aug) | 4,756,430 | 601 | 3,934,632 | 2,115,045–4,861,827 |
| 34 (20 Aug–26 Aug) | 4,759,025 | 2,595 | 3,935,062 | 2,115,045–4,861,827 |
| 35 (27 Aug–2 Sept) | 4,760,377 | 1,352 | 3,935,423 | 2,115,228–4,861,827 |
| 36 (3 Sept–9 Sept) | 4,760,749 | 372 | 3,935,976 | 2,115,412–4,862,177 |
| 37 (10 Sept–16 Sept) | 4,761,630 | 881 | 3,936,443 | 2,115,412–4,862,463 |
| 38 (17 Sept–23 Sept) | 4,764,268 | 2,638 | 3,937,257 | 2,116,160–4,864,098 |
| 39 (24 Sept–30 Sept) | 4,768,945 | 4,677 | 3,940,541 | 2,117,988–4,871,116 |
| 40 (1 Oct–7 Oct) | 4,792,315 | 23,370 | 3,949,934 | 2,121,296–4,885,929 |
| 41 (8 Oct–14 Oct) | 4,877,212 | 84,897 | 3,985,593 | 2,141,002–4,923,433 |
| 42 (15 Oct–21 Oct) | 4,908,406 | 31,194 | 4,053,904 | 2,180,149–5,021,499 |
| 43 (22 Oct–28 Oct) | 5,122,973 | 214,567 | 4,144,189 | 2,213,008–5,197,353 |
| 44 (29 Oct–4 Nov) | 5,331,869 | 208,896 | 4,251,654 | 2,262,021–5,395,518 |
| 45 (5 Nov–11 Nov) | 5,463,856 | 131,987 | 4,352,967 | 2,290,294–5,519,253 |
| 46 (12 Nov–18 Nov) | 5,596,720 | 132,864 | 4,470,333 | 2,332,545–5,667,143 |
| 47 (19 Nov–25 Nov) | 5,750,402 | 153,682 | 4,591,579 | 2,387,753–5,815,456 |
| 48 (26 Nov–2 Dec) | 6,031,714 | 281,312 | 4,758,384 | 2,482,015–6,040,333 |
| 49 (3 Dec–9 Dec) | 6,272,466 | 240,752 | 4,944,423 | 2,588,058–6,279,905 |
| 50 (10 Dec–16 Dec) | 6,601,818 | 329,352 | 5,236,686 | 2,895,488–6,601,818 |
| 51 (17 Dec–23 Dec) | 7,068,216 | 466,398 | 5,599,280 | 3,300,461–7,068,216 |
| 52 (24 Dec–30 Dec) | 7,495,098 | 426,882 | 6,065,320 | 3,876,771–7,609,752 |

## Largest recorded fires

- [Abadam fire, 1 October 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/abadam-2021-10.md) · 39,964 ha
- [Rafi fire, 4 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/rafi-2021-01.md) · 22,549 ha
- [Gummi fire, 1 December 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/gummi-2021-12.md) · 16,638 ha
- [Birnin Gwari fire, 9 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/birnin-gwari-2021-01-7.md) · 15,115 ha
- [Shiroro fire, 14 December 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/shiroro-2021-12.md) · 14,261 ha
- [Rafi fire, 4 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/rafi-2021-01-2.md) · 12,252 ha
- [Toto fire, 11 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/toto-2021-01-3.md) · 10,998 ha
- [Mashegu fire, 5 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/mashegu-2021-01-6.md) · 9,405 ha
- [Ngala fire, 22 October 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/ngala-2021-10.md) · 9,060 ha
- [Mashegu fire, 9 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/mashegu-2021-01-5.md) · 8,608 ha
- [Uhunmwonde fire, March 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/uhunmwonde-2021-03.md) · 8,316 ha
- [Marte fire, February 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/marte-2021-02.md) · 8,241 ha
- [Bakura fire, December 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/bakura-2021-12.md) · 7,670 ha
- [Mafa fire, January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/mafa-2021-01.md) · 7,491 ha
- [Shiroro fire, 4 January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/shiroro-2021-01.md) · 6,879 ha
- [Dikwa fire, February 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/dikwa-2021-02.md) · 6,648 ha
- [Faskari fire, November 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/faskari-2021-11.md) · 6,223 ha
- [Konduga fire, 1 November 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/konduga-2021-11.md) · 6,159 ha
- [Marte fire, March 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/marte-2021-03.md) · 6,070 ha
- [Gummi fire, January 2021](https://worldfires.org/en/fire/gummi-2021-01.md) · 5,897 ha

## Sources and limits

Fire-page areas are satellite-measured perimeters and may differ from official statistics. The yearly and weekly record is the Copernicus GWIS estimate. The FWI is our own calculation from ERA5 at each fire's location: it is not an official danger warning.

## How to cite

WorldFires, “Wildfires in Nigeria in 2021”, https://worldfires.org/en/country/nigeria/2021 (accessed 14 November 2026). Sources: Copernicus GWIS, WorldFires, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS).

> Experimental site with automatically processed open data: it may contain errors and is not an official emergency service. If there is a fire, call your local emergency number.

Full version with maps: https://worldfires.org/en/country/nigeria/2021